


I Didn’t Want To

by Caustic_Corgi



Series: Nightwing Whump [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Asphyxiation, Blood and Injury, Bombs, Character Death, Choices, Clark Kent Angst, Clark Kent Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson Whump, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Dick Grayson-centric, Gen, Hurt Clark Kent, Hurt Dick Grayson, Worried Bruce Wayne
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caustic_Corgi/pseuds/Caustic_Corgi
Summary: Superman is forced to make a choice: kill Nightwing or let bombs blow up all over Bludhaven.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Clark Kent
Series: Nightwing Whump [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2144790
Comments: 13
Kudos: 185





	I Didn’t Want To

"Kill him." 

Faint steady beeping could be heard all the way from the windy Bludhaven rooftops where Clark firmly stood.

"Never," Clark growled at the stranger standing opposite to him, his fist clenched at his side, barely restraining himself. A light breeze carried the sound of city people slumbering away, wrapped up in warm blankets and lover's arms.

People were so beautiful. Such complex beings in such fragile bodies. Clark never understood why there were those that felt the desire to see such perfectly flawed beings tore apart and destroyed. He simply could not understand it. But that did not mean that others did not and did not find passion, the whole purpose for there being in the destruction of others. Clark did not understand, so he protected.

Clark's heart softened and his fists tightened in response to the murmur of sleeping breathes that reached his ear. He locked eyes with the glinting eyes of vile stranger that stood across from him.

The stranger chortled at Clark's conviction. "Alright. If you don't want to, you don't have to. I completely understand. He is a dear friend after all, maybe even a nephew of sorts. You don't have to touch a hair on his head. You can just have to ignore the screams and explosions and then you can go about your day," said the stranger triumphantly, a malicious grin covering his face.

"I won't do that either," said Clark walking cautiously towards the figure. 'All I need to do is find the locations of the bombs and it'll all be over,' he thought.

"Na-uh-uh!" laughed the man, motioning to the button in his right hand and wagging his fat, grubby finger. "You know what will happen if you step any closer, right?"

Clark narrowed his eyes but didn't take another step. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Because I want to," stated the man as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I thought you were smarter than that. You should know how this works by now! Don't expect complex reasons that bring up the issues of society and morality! This is fun. I am doing this because this is fun. Anyway... Nightwing is on his way. He should be here soon. What happens to him once he arrives is up to you, but remember if you let him go, hundreds of bombs will go off throughout the city. If you tell him about me or the bombs then I'll set them off. If you try to stop me, I, or one of my many, many friends, will set them off. The only way to avoid killing thousands of people is if you kill Nightwing and appear to him a traitor of your own free will. Do you understand? I know you're a bit slow today."

Clark gritted his teeth. "Yes. You've explained you're plan perfectly. Crystal clear." Clark rubbed his fingers together, trying to come up with some plan.

"There's no way for you to get out of this. You don't even know where all the bombs are. Someone is going to die today, you just have to choose who. Better start deciding," said the stranger emotionlessly. He lifted his hands up, showcasing the dangerous button, and retreated to the fire escape, leaving Clark alone with his thoughts and memories what even led him to this situation.

Clark had heard a voice screaming for him in the middle of the night. The shriek was filled with fear and desperation. Bludhaven might have not been in his territory, but Clark never refused a person in need. That was a mistake. He had quickly gotten his signature suit on and flown over to the rooftop that the sound originated from. Once there, he had met the stranger who told him of the explosives he had planted all over the city. He told Clark that he could never get to them all in time, which was true. Clark didn't even know where they all were, he could only hear their beeping. Clark had tried reasoning with the man, but the only thing that would stop him or his mysterious friends from blowing up the city was if Superman violently killed Nightwing. The man was right, there was no getting out of it. Now Clark had to make a choice.

Clark sobbed.  
_______

Dick landed softly on the concrete. "Hey Supes! I got your call. What's going on?" he asked, waving.

Clark didn't return the greeting. He just looked out over the city, avoiding eye contact. Dick noticed how his face was scrunched up in silent thought.

"You alright? You don't look so hot. Did you get in a fight with Lois or something?" Dick asked, walking over. "You can tell me. I'm a much better ear than B."

Clark just held his head in his hands.

Fear filled Dick. 'What would make him so upset?' he wondered. Dick placed a hand on the hero's shoulder. "Did someone get hurt?" he asked after a moment of silence.

Clark gave no reply, but instead looked directly at Dick, his eyes glowing red.

Startled, Dick stumbled back and dove out of the way of Clark's heat vision. Dick could smell the scent of burning hair.

"The hell?!" Dick was completely bewildered. He just stood, frozen in place with his mouth agape. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

Clark avoided eye contact with Dick and rushed forward, swiping. He barely missed knocking Dick's head off his shoulders.

Dick flipped away and put his hands up in a sign of peace. "Hey! What's going on? Let's talk about this!"

Clark ignored him and continued to fire his heat vision at Dick. Dick noticed how Clark's expression looked extremely guilty and how he was only aiming at vital spots on Dick's body. Superman never killed, but here he was trying to kill Dick. Clark didn't look committed to what he was currently doing either, like he really wanted to stop. 

'Mind control?' Dick wondered. Mind control cases were always a mess, especially when on of the JL aliens was involved.

It didn't take long for Clark to land a hit on Dick and grab a hold of his suit. He roughly grabbed Dick and hurled him against the concrete. Dick's body made a stomach-churning crack. All of the wind was violently knocked out of Dick's lungs as he crashed against the concrete wall of the rooftop utility room. 

Dick tried to stagger up but his legs wouldn't obey him. Dick let himself fall back to the ground and turned on his comms. "Oracle! I need backup now! It's Supes, he's—he's—" Dick broke off into a fit of violent coughing.

Barbara responded immediately. "Nightwing! Are you alright?! What's going on?!"

Dick couldn't stop coughing long enough to answer. Blood flew out of his mouth and his hacking grew harsher. 'Damn! I think he did something to my lungs,' Dick thought.

Barbara's voice grew frantic. "Answer me! I need you to answer! I'm sending back up! Di—Nightwing! Respond!"

"I'm here...I'm here," Dick finally wheezed.

"Are you okay?!" Barbara asked, relieved at getting an answer.

Dick groaned and forced himself to stand. "No. Superman just chucked me at a wall. How do you think I am?"

"He chucked you at a wall?!"

"Yep. I'm just as surprised as you are. No time to talk! He might chuck me off the building next." Dick dodged out of the way of one of Clark's powerful fists. "I really need to start carrying around kryptonite."

"They'll be with you soon. Just hold on. Okay?!"

"Yeah." Dick sighed. He knew he could only avoid Superman's deadly blows for so long. If help didn't come soon...

A powerful hand struck Dick in the back. Pain exploded throughout Dick's chest and Dick saw stars burst along his line of sight. He lost his balance and made eye contact with Clark as he fell. It was the first time that Clark had looked directly at him the entire night—heat vision doesn't count—and he looked almost apologetic. Apologetic for something he was about to do. Dick felt arms wrap tightly around him in a bear hug fashion. Dick struggled and twisted, but Clark's grip only tightened. Dick felt crushing force squeeze his ribs, making it difficult for Dick to breathe.

'He's going to squeeze me to death!' Dick realized in horror.

"Help!" Dick choked out. It was hard to move, let alone breath or speak, and the raspy words that Dick spoke made it quite clear what a dangerous situation he was in. His arms had little mobility and the only use Dick could find for them were to unsuccessfully try to push his body away from Clark's chest.

"Nightwing!" A new voice erupted from Dick's earpiece. It was Bruce. His voice was uncharacteristically frantic. "Report! Can you respond?!"

The only response Dick could make was a horrible gasp as he tried to breathe. Clark's arms were like a steel trap, inescapable. 'It must sound terrifying through the comms,' thought Dick. He recognized his cry as being similar to those of suffocating victims, which Dick had become way to familiar with during his time as Robin.

Several voices talked over each other in Dick's ear. Barbara was yelling at Bruce and the others to hurry up, Tim could be heard urging Dick to breathe, and Bruce's booming, harsh orders flooded in, incomprehensible to Dick's oxygen deprived mind. "Hang in there. Keep fighting. We're really close. It's gonna be okay," said Jason, oddly calm, like he was trying to be soothing. Jason was not a soothing person.

As time went on, Dick grew more and more tired. His gasps grew more and more infrequent. Dick struggled weakly in Clark’s crushing grasp. He clenched his eyes tightly shut, trying to focus his mind on his task. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Dick's squirming was weak and did nothing to make the alien let go. As if seeing that Dick had little fight left, Clark tightened his grasp even more and Dick groaned loudly. The sound was disgusting and wet.

"Come on! We're so so close! We'll be there in like one minute. Just hold on!" shouted Tim through the comms.

The world blurred in Dick's eyes, his head felt hot and light. He could hear blood pounding in his head and his heart thump and shudder in his chest. Dick vaguely wondered if Clark could hear Dick's heart pause too.

"I'm sorry Nightwi—Dick. I'm so so sorry." That was Clark. He sounded somber and sad, but he didn't loosen his crushing hold, he just kept murmuring that he was sorry.

Dick tried to breathe in deeply, but couldn't. He could feel his ribs press against his lungs and hear bones cracking. Dick's body unwillingly relaxed and drooped. He was too tired to make sense of what Clark was saying or why. Dick's vision turned dark and feeling left his arms, which had stopped clawing at the air. Though his head felt like bursting, the rest of Dick's body felt numb and cold. His body trembled and shivered. Finally, Dick could not bring himself to use his last remaining strength to fuel his breaths. Exhausted, Dick gave up his last battle. His chest stopped rising.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment! Did you like it?


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